Obama vows renewed commitment on AIDS

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama declared a new day in the fight against AIDS in the United States and around the world as he unveiled a plan to make life-saving drug treatments available to millions more people.

The Obama administration will redirect $50 million to prevention and treatment programs across the country and will aim to help provide anti-retroviral drugs to more than 6 million people around the world, an increase of 2 million over the previous goal.

"We can beat this disease," Obama told a crowd gathered in Washington to mark World AIDS Day on Thursday. "We just have to keep at it, steady, persistent ... every day until we get to zero."

The remarks came at an event that included former President George W. Bush addressing the audience by satellite from Tanzania. Obama gave credit to his predecessor, praising Bush's "bold leadership" in fighting AIDS in the U.S. and Africa.

Celebrity support

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Obama's announcement drew praise from activists at a time when he hopes to renew the devotion of the liberal base that helped elect him 2008. AIDS activists periodically have criticized him, complaining that he could do more to improve access to treatment drugs, despite the budget-cutting mood in Congress.

Bono, who is the lead singer of the Irish rock band U2 and an AIDS activist, and singer Alicia Keys met privately Thursday with members of House and Senate appropriations committees. Bono said he was impressed with support from Democrats and Republicans for international AIDS prevention programs - telling a divided Congress to take a moment to feel good.

"This is probably the one thing that America seems in agreement about ..." Bono told reporters after the meeting. "You're very good at beating yourself up in this country, but just for today you should realize that you have personally - every taxpayer in this country has paid for 5 million people to stay alive."

In his address at George Washington University, Obama called on other countries to contribute more to the cause. "China and other major economies are in a position now to transition in a way that can help more people," he said.

Global effort

Around the world, activists used the day to warn that severe shortfalls in global AIDS funding would cost many lives, especially in hard-hit regions of southern Africa.

The World Health Organization said the sustained global investment in treating AIDS over the last decade had saved millions of lives, cutting AIDS-related deaths by 22 percent in the past five years.

Obama is reallocating money that Congress already has approved for public health purposes, directing $35 million to state AIDS drug assistance programs and $15 million to the Ryan White program, which supports care provided by HIV clinics.